Algoma mother who listened to music, watched videos as baby drowned in bathtub is sentenced to prison for neglect

KEWAUNEE – An Algoma woman who was watching YouTube videos and listening to music while her 7-month-old daughter drowned in a bathtub was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison.

Cheyanne J. Wierichs, 24, pleaded no contest in February to a charge of child neglect resulting in death. She previously pleaded not guilty during a preliminary hearing in April 2021.

Prior to her no-contest plea, Wierichs also faced charges of felony possession of methamphetamine and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia that stemmed from the search of her apartment by Algoma Police Department investigators after her baby drowned. Prosecutors dropped those charges after her plea led to her conviction on the child neglect charge.

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In addition to the prison time, Kewaunee County Judge Dennis Mleziva placed Wierichs on 10 years of extended supervision upon her release. She could have been sentenced to as many as 25 years in prison for the neglect resulting in death conviction.

"Judge Mleziva, faced with a difficult sentencing, made an informed and reasonable decision," District Attorney Andrew Naze told the Kewaunee County Star-News in an email.

Before the sentence was handed down, Wierichs told the court she realizes her actions cost her daughter her life.

The incident happened Feb. 9, 2021, when Algoma Police officers responded to a call at Wierichs' apartment in the 400 block of Fourth Avenue for an infant who had no pulse and was not breathing. An officer and Algoma Fire and Rescue personnel were unable to revive the infant.

Wierichs initially told officers she put her two children in a bath and went to do some work in the kitchen for a few minutes, then discovered the infant was drowning when she returned.

But, according to the complaint against Wierichs, she later changed her story and told investigators she watched videos on YouTube while the children were in the bath, then left the bathroom for a few minutes to hook up her phone to a speaker. After listening to an entire song, she heard splashing from the bathroom and returned to find the drowning infant. The tub did not have an infant bath seat or baby tub.

Wierichs also pleaded no contest in February to a charge from a different incident of operating while intoxicated, first offense. For this, she was fined and had her driver's license revoked.

Contact Christopher Clough at 920-741-7952, 920-562-8900 or cclough@doorcountyadvocate.com.

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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Algoma mother who listened to music, watched videos as baby drowned in bathtub is sentenced to prison for neglect